Monday, February 16, 2026

Question: Which modern Tennessee county was an independent, though unofficial, state from 1784 to 1788?

Answer: The modern county of Franklin, Tennessee, existed as an independent, though not officially recognized, state from 1784 to 1788. The short-lived state was an attempt by frontier settlers in what was then western North Carolina to form their own state. It collapsed after North Carolina reclaimed the land. The federal government later organized it into the territory that became Tennessee.